


Robin Saves the Day

by Merfilly



Category: DCU - Comicverse
Genre: Alternate Universe, POV Female Character
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2009-10-15
Updated: 2009-10-15
Packaged: 2017-10-29 14:07:17
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 890
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/320739
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Merfilly/pseuds/Merfilly
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Five times the Girl Wonder made the senior bat family proud of her</p>
            </blockquote>





	Robin Saves the Day

Training is tough, and Batman demands nothing but perfection, even when she's just starting to get the hang of it. She tries and tries, and she hides the bruises, hides the strain of muscles the best she can. When Batman cuts loose with a harsh word, or gives her one of those looks, she swallows her tears, bites down on the urge to just scream at him, and muscles on.

She's Robin. Robin works with and for Batman. Robin doesn't get to make mistakes, because mistakes get you a glass case and a kooky Batman running around Gotham. She has to do this, has to be the best, because Robin is the best.

By the end of the session and the patrol, she's so torn apart that she knows she could just scream, both mentally and physically. She knows life is bad, has seen all kinds of bad things in her life, but what they fight against? Sometimes she wonders why they bother, why not just let the darkness roll up and win. What's the point, if every person they run into is just out to screw someone else over, or worse?

She flinches when the hot water hits her sensitive skin, lets the tears melt into the water, and eventually comes out dressed like a normal teenager. She still thinks that's the mask, the jeans and the sweaters. Her father made sure she'd never be normal by being who he was.

Then Batman is right there, and she braces to take yet more criticism. She's already counting to ten to keep from losing it when he speaks.

"Not bad, Robin." He sweeps on by, and all her frustration, all the pain, all the defeat she feels melts away.

He'd called her Robin, in the Cave, and he'd told her not bad. That's enough to put her on cloud nine and resolve all over again that she will be the best Robin.

`~`~`~`~`

It's been a long night, and she's not the only one who has made mistakes. They sting, flick her raw, especially when it's him that notices.

Maybe that's why she notices when he overlooks the evidence. Maybe it's her own way of getting back at him for his ways, while still being a good Robin.

"Bats..." She points it out, moving close enough to get it for him if he needs her too. For a moment, there's a hint of a smile on his lips below the cowl.

"Good job, Robin." He's proud of her, she can hear it in his voice, and it makes her sharper than ever, not wanting to lose that the rest of the night.

`~`~`~`~`

She isn't panicking. She's seen blood before. She's not going to panic. Okay, so maybe the Batmobile is hard to drive when you only come up to its driver's shoulder. And maybe that's a lot of blood.

She's still not going to panic.

She got him to the car, she's in the car, and she's got it moving.

That means she's not panicking, right?

OH GOD, is that the turn to the faster, secret way into the cave?!

No, there it is. See? Still not panicking. And so what if the rear tire was that close to the ledge of the parking spot for the car? Still so not panicking.

"You'd better still be breathing!" she tells her passenger, noting the blood is still seeping around the bandages she put on him. She manages to get him out of the car before Alfred is there, helping her, and then she can fall fully into her training, because Alfred is in charge.

After, once Batman is resting safely in a bed, an I.V. dripping into his veins, Alfred lays a warm hand on her shoulder.

"You did very well, Miss Stephanie."

She heads out, lost in the aftermath of a crisis, but not giving in to the shakes at all.

 _Alfred_ thought she did good.

`~`~`~`~`

"Robin, are you there?!"

The voice in her ear is enough to pull her up, out of the pain.

"Robin!"

"Don't yell...my head hurts."

"You're...you're okay."

Stephanie takes a solid look around her, sees the sprawled out goons, notices the woman still cowering, even though the fight's been over a good full minute, given the ringing in Steph's skull from that lucky blow just as she punched Mister Would Be Rapist in the balls. Her damn fault for being that close to the wall that she conked her head.

"I'm a little loopy, but they're all down, and the girl's okay."

"Robin...the police are on the way. Good job, but get clear."

"I hear ya, O."

She was grinning, enjoying the fact she'd taken them all on and won as well as from Oracle giving her praise.

`~`~`~`~`

She's got the plans. She's got the brains to see what was meant to happen.

She goes to Batman, despite being fired, instead.

The look he gives her, as she outlines a better way to tackle the gangs, is worth all the butterflies she's ever had in facing him.

"Orpheus and you should work together," he tells her, an unspoken invitation to be part of his team again.

"And us?" she challenges.

He smiles, and for the first time, she sees he fired her...to see if she was strong enough to come back.


End file.
